Newtown Rugby League Football Club - Established 1908
The Jets and the Bears kick-start the 2009 Rugby League season

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Newtown and North Sydney set the 2009 Rugby League season in motion when they played an SG Ball Cup trial match at the TG Millner Field on Saturday evening.

The Jets have taken the place of the Sydney Roosters in the NSWRL's SG Ball Cup Under 18s competition for 2009, while the Roosters will continue to field a team in the Under 16s Harold Matthews Shield.

The Newtown and North Sydney clubs both trialled more than 30 players in their respective squads on Saturday and played a total of five twenty-minute sessions to get a good look at all of the aspirants.

The Jets eventually prevailed over the Bears by 48-36 after Newtown had led by 36-16 at the sixty-minute mark.

Newtown's Head Coach, Joel Greig, was very pleased with the level of improvement shown in his squad since official training began back in early November. He said that the benefits gained from all the hard work done throughout the summer were all there on show on Saturday evening. The Jets'' Assistant Coach, Sean Rudder, said that there was plenty of hard graft to be done before the SG Ball Cup competition commences in mid-February but there was much to be pleased about in Saturday's performance.

The Harold Matthews Shield trial match was also an entertaining spectacle with the Bears edging out the Sydney Roosters by 28-24.

Newtown's next SG Ball trial game is against the Bulldogs on Tuesday, 27th January at Neptune Park, Revesby with this match kicking off at 7.30pm. The Roosters and Bulldogs meet in a Harold Matthews Shield trial at 5.30pm.

Who played

Newtown - Team No. 1

Paul Rokalatai

Darren Schai, Eddie Ezzabadieh

Inoke Vunipola, Haliano Saluka

Josh Griffiths, Michael Mizrahie

Kurt Hart

Kane Evans, Ethan Fullick

Michael Esber, Samson Manua

James Clout

Newtown - Team No. 2

Joel Pearce

Matua King-Brooks, Tinei Muna

Hemi Cahill, Dylan Ingram

Josh Clout, Steve Blakemore

Will Roqica

Marl Faleniko, Dylan Stryckland

Morgan Ayshford, Salvation Mumu

Blake Ritchie.

Did not participate in first trial

There were a further 8 players who are already contracted to the Sydney Roosters who were not required to play in this trial.